Vane type compressor



April 1955 K. v. ANDERSON 2,705,591

VANE TYPE COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 16 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 5, 1955 K. v. ANDERSON VANE TYPE COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 16, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 5, 1955 K. v. ANDERSON VANE TYPE COMPRESSOR 4 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 16, 1951 United States Patent VANE TYPE COMPRESSOR Karl Volmar Anderson, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Cleaver-Brooks Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 16, 1951, Serial No. 211,253

8 Claims. (Cl. 230-140) This invention relates to a compressor and particularly to a vane type compressor in which adiabatic compression is obtained.

The general object of this invention is to provide a new and improved compressor of the character described.

Another object is the provision of a compressor of the character described in which pulsations are eliminated by providing adiabatic compression.

Another object is the provision of such a compressor having a minimum of rubbing surfaces contributing to a simplicity of manufacture and maintenance of the compressor parts.

A further object is the provision of a compressor having a casing forming a cylindrical chamber surrounded by annular inlet and outlet passages having relatively elongated ports communicating with the chamber to permit high speed rotation of the compressor parts while maintaining communication between the ports for ingress and egress of the medium to be compressed.

Other features, advantages and objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the compressor taken on a plane passing through the shafts supporting the rotating compressor parts; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken as indicated on Fig. -l by line 2-2 and passing through the discharge passage in the compressor housing; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken as indicated in Fig. 1 by line 33 and passing through the suction or inlet passage in the compressor housing; and Figs. 4 to 7 are diagrammatic end views of the moving compressor parts showing the relative positions of the parts at 90 intervals during one revolution.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring particularly to the Figures 1-3 of the drawings, the compressor is provided with a housing 10 having a pedestal 11 for supporting the compressor on a suitable foundation block or the like. The housing 10 has an outer shell 12 integral with an inner shell 13 spaced from the outer shell. The inner shell encloses a cylindrical chamber 14 in which the compressor parts rotate as will be later described. Between the inner and outer portions of the housing are annular spaces 15 and 16 with the space 15 connected to a discharge orifice 17 and the space 16 connected with an inlet or suction orifice 18. The passages 15 and 16 are separated by a web 19 integral with the housing 10.

The annular passages 15 and 16 are each provided with elongated ports for connecting the passages with the interior of the chamber 14. Thus as noted in Fig. 2, the discharge passage has an elongated port extending from 20 counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2 to 21. This port thus permits communication between the discharge passage 15 and the interior of the chamber 14 whenever the compressor parts are in the proper position as will be later described. A similar port is provided in the suction or inlet chamber 16 as most clearly shown in Fig. 3. Thus the suction port extends through the inner portion 13 of the housing from 22 in a counter-clockwise direc- Ice tion to 23. A labyrinth seal 24 is provided between the passages to prevent communication directly between the suction and discharge of the compressor. A carbon seal may be substituted for the labyrinth seal if desired.

The driven compressor part comprises a cylinder 26 integral with an end plate 27 secured to the drive shaft 28. The cylinder 26 is of a size to rotate within the chamber 14 with fairly close tolerance so as to provide a space seal with the chamber wall. The drive shaft 28 is supported in spaced bearings 29 and 30 which are secured within an integral hub 31 which is part of the compressor housing. A seal 32 is provided between the bearing 30 and the compressor chamber 14, no seal other than the seal 32 being necessary for protection of the bearings. Any desired source of power may be connected with the drive shaft 28.

The chamber 14 in which the cylinder 26 rotates is not provided with an integral closed end on the left-hand side as viewed in Fig. 1. To close and seal this end of the chamber 14, an end plate 35 is provided for attachment to the casing by a plurality of bolts 36 and supports integrally therewith a hub 37 eccentrically located with relation to the axis of the chamber 14. A roller 38 is concentrically supported upon a shaft 39, in turn supported by bearings 40 and 41 in the hub 37. A seal 42 is provided between the roller 38 and the bearings 40.

The roller 38 is so positioned by the end plate 35 sup porting it, that it may rotate about the axis of its shaft 39, which axis is eccentric to the axis of rotation of the cylinder 26. The eccentricity may be adjusted by location of the end plate 36 on the housing 10 so as to provide the proper clearance at 44. The roller and cylinder are in sealing engagement at 44 by providing the proper spacing between the parts.

The cylinder 26 is driven and the roller or follower 38 is not. It does, however, rotate about its own axis to follow the rotation of the cylinder. A vane 46 extends transversely of the cylinder and is pivotally connected thereto by a cylinder and slot pivot joint 47 extended transversely of the cylinder. The roller 38 is provided with a transverse slot 48 which extends through its axis. The slot extends the full transverse length of the roller and completely through the roller so that in fact the roller may be described as bifurcated with the two parts thereof supported directly on the shaft 39. The vane 46 is of the same transverse length as the cylinder and the roller so that the lateral edges thereof may have sealing engagement with the housing wall and with the end plate 35. The vane may be easily removed by simply removing the end plate 35 and withdrawing the vane from its pivotal connection with the cylinder.

The compressor of this invention is designed for high speed rotation of the order of 1800 revolutions per minute. The cylinder and the housing may be made of bronze, the roller of Monel and the vane of either Monel or carbon plate. Lubrication of the parts is not necessary and when used for steam compression, the bearings on the shafts are protected by the seals 32 and 42.

The operation of the compressor may be easily understood by reference to the suction, discharge and compression cycles indicated in the arcs shown on Fig. 2, and by reference to the diagrammatic vieWs of Figs. 4 to 7. The cylinder 26 is provided with an inlet port 50 and an outlet or discharge port 51 which are arranged on either side of: the pivotal support of the vane 46. With particular reference to Fig. 2, the medium to be compressed may be admitted through the inlet port during communication of the port 50 with the inlet passage 16 during all of its travel between points 22 and 23 limiting the elongated port in the inner wall 13 of the housing. This suction cycle is indicated by the are marked suction in Fig. 2. During a portion of this travel the discharge port 51 is in communication with the discharge passage 15 during its travel from the point 20 to the point 21 indicated by an are marked discharge. The steam or other fluid which has been admitted to the interior of the cylinder 26 during communication of the port 50 with the suction passage 16 is compressed during the travel of the cylinder from the point 21 in a counter-clockwise direction to the point 20 which has been indicated by an are marked compression on Fig. 2.

The action may be clearly understood from Figs. 4-7. In Fig. 4, the medium is being admitted to compartment 66 through port 50 and at the same time the medium in compartment 77 is being discharged through port 51. After 90 counter-clockwise rotation (Fig. 5) ports 50 and 51 are still open, however, compartment 66 is materially larger and compartment 77 is considerably smaller. ln Fig. 6 the pivot point of the vane 46 is directly under the roller 38 and the discharge port 51 and inlet port 50 are both closed. Compartment 66 now includes the entire unoccupied volume of the cylinder. Compartment 77 has been reduced to Zero volume. Further movement to Fig. 7 position reduces the volume of compartment 66 to compress the medium during the cycle marked compression on Fig. 2. Port 50 also starts to admit medium to a new compartment 88. The parts now advance to the position of Fig. 4 and continue sequentially through the positions shown in the figures to admit, compress and discharge the medium.

I claim:

1. A compressor comprising, a housing having walls forming a cylindrical chamber with separate annular inlet and outlet passages about its periphery, said annular passages each communicating with the interior of said chamber along only a portion of the peripheral extent of the passage, a driven cylinder rotatably mounted in said chamber, a transversely diametrically slotted roller rotatably mounted within said cylinder eccentrically thereof and in sealing contact with the cylinder, a vane pivotally secured to said cylinder and slidably mounted in said slot to cooperate with the roller to divide the interior of the cylinder into expansion and compression chambers during a part of each revolution of the cylinder, and an inlet and an outlet in the cylinder respectively connecting the expansion and compression chambers of said cylinder with said passages during rotation of the cylinder.

2. A compressor comprising, a housing having Walls forming a cylindrical chamber with separate annular inlet and outlet passages about its periphery, said cylindrical chamber wall having ports communicating with said passages, a hollow cylinder rotatably mounted Within said chamber, a roller rotatably mounted within said cylinder eccentrically thereof and in sealing contact with the cylinder, said roller having a transverse slot extending diametrically through its axis, and a vane pivotally connected with said cylinder transversely thereof and extending slidably within said slot, said vane and roller dividing the interior of the cylinder into expansion and compression chambers during rotation of the cylinder, said cylinder having openings therein for respective communication with said ports during rotation of said cylinder to connect the expansion and compression chambers with the inlet and outlet passages respectively.

3. A compressor comprising, a housing having walls forming a cylindrical chamber with separate annular inlet and outlet passages about the periphery of the chamber, said chamber communicating with said passages through elongated port openings in the chamber wall, a hollow cylinder rotatably mounted within said chamber, a drive shaft secured to said cylinder, a roller rotatably mounted within said cylinder eccentrically thereof, said roller having a transverse slot therein passing diametrically through its axis, a vane pivotally secured to said cylinder and extending transversely of the cylinder, said vane being slidably engaged in said slot in the roller to rotate the roller, said roller and cylinder having adjacent surfaces in sealing engagement in all relative rotative positions thereof and said cylinder having a port on each side of said vane for communication through said elongated openings to said inlet and outlet passages.

4. A compressor comprising, a housing having walls forming a cylindrical chamber with separate annular inlet and outlet passages extending side by side about the periphery of said chamber, said housing having an integral hub at one end of said chamber, a drive shaft mounted in hearings in said hub, a cylinder secured to said shaft for rotation within said chamber, a closure member removably secured to the housing at the other end of said chamber, a roller shaft rotatably supported by said closure with a roller mounted on said roller shaft for idle rotation within said cylinder eccentrically thereof, said roller having a transverse slot therein extending diametrically through the roller, a vane pivotally secured within the cylinder and slidably mounted in said slot, said roller, cylinder and vane having adjacent surfaces in sealing relation during rotation thereof, and inlet and outlet port means for connecting the interior of said cylinder with said inlet and outlet passages.

5. A compressor comprising, a casing having walls forming a cylindrical chamber and a pair of separate annular passages extending around the periphery of the chamber, an inlet orifice connected to one of said passages and an outlet orifice connected to the other, said chamber wall having elongated port openings respectively connecting each of said passages with the interior of said chamber with each opening extending more than half way around the chamber, a driven cylinder rotatable within the chamber, a roller rotatable within said cylinder about an axis eccentric to the axis of the cylinder, said roller having a transverse diametrically extending slot, and a vane pivotally secured within the cylinder transversely thereof and slidably received in said slot to rotate the roller, said vane and roller dividing the interior of the cylinders into expansion and compression chambers varying from zero volume to the entire unoccupied volume within the cylinder, said cylinder having a port on either side of said vane for registry respectively with said elongated openings during rotation of said cylinder.

6. A compressor comprising, a housing having walls forming a cylindrical chamber and a pair of spaced annular passages extending around the periphery of the chamber, means connecting one of said passages to an inlet for the medium to be compressed, means connecting the other of said passages to an outlet for said medium, said chamber wall having elongated port openings extending only partially along the length of the annular passages, connecting each passage with the interior of said chamber, a cylinder mounted for rotation within the chamber with its outer surface in sealing engagement with the walls of said chamber, a drive shaft secured to said cylinder for rotating the same, a roller rotatably mounted within the cylinder and a shaft supporting said roller eccentrically of said cylinder, said roller and cylinder having adjacent surfaces in sealing engagement, said roller being divided transversely by a diametrically extending slot and having a diameter substantially smaller than the internal diameter of the cylinder, a flat vane pivotally secured to the wall of said cylinder and extending longitudinally thereof, the free end of said vane being slidably received in and m sealing engagement with said slot in the roller, said vane being generally rectangular in plan and having a dimension from its pivotal connection to its opposite edge less than the internal diameter of said cylinder, said vane extending through the roller when the pivotal connection of the vane is closest said adjacent surfaces of the roller and cylinder and forming a single compartment within the cylinder with said vane and roller dividing the interior of the cylinder into two compartments in all other positions, said cylinder having an inlet port and an outlet port adjacent the pivotal connection of the vane with the out let port on the leading side of the vane and the inlet port on the trailing side of the vane, said elongated opening to said outlet passage being in communication with said outlet port only after the volume of the compartment within the cylinder on the leading side of the vane has been reduced by rotation of the cylinder, vane and roller.

7. compressor comprising, a housing having walls forming a cylindrical chamber and a pair of annular passages side by side about the periphery of the chamber, the chamber wall having an elongated port opening conmeeting each passage with the chamber, a cylinder rotatably mounted within the chamber with its outer surface in sealing engagement with the chamber wall, a drive shaft connected to and supporting said cylinder, a roller secured to a shaft having an axis eccentric to the axis of the cylinder for rotation within the cylinder, said roller havmg a diameter substantially less than the internal diameter of the cylinder and being divided transversely by a dlametrically extending slot, a vane pivotally secured by one edge to the interior of the cylinder and extending longitudinally thereof, said vane having a dimension from said pivoted edge to the opposite edge less than the internal diameter of the cylinder with the free end thereof being slidably engaged in said slot in the roller, the axes of said shafts being fixed in position and said roller being rotated by force applied thereto from said vane, said vane and roller dividing the interior of the cylinder into two compartments each changing in volume with rotation of the cylinder from zero to the entire unoccupied space within the cylinder, and said cylinder having an inlet port adjacent said pivoted edge of the vane on the trailing side and an outlet port adjacent said pivoted edge of the vane on the leading side, said elongated opening to the outlet passage being in communication with said outlet port only during reduction of volume of said compartments from substantially less than full capacity to zero.

8. A compressor comprising, a housing having walls forming a cylindrical chamber, means forming a separate inlet and outlet in communication with said chamber, a cylinder rotatably mounted within the chamber, a drive shaft connected to said cylinder, a roller rotatably mounted in said cylinder eccentrically thereof and in sealing contact with the cylinder, said roller having a diameter substantially smaller than the internal diameter of the cylinder and being divided transversely by a diametrically extending slot, a vane pivotally secured by one edge to and within the cylinder and having a dimension from said edge to the opposite edge less than the internal diameter of the cylinder, said vane being slidably engaged in said slot and driving the roller, said roller and vane dividing the cylinder into two compartments each changing in volume with rotation of the cylinder from zero to a maximum of the entire unoccupied space within the cylinder, and said cylinder having an inlet and outlet port on opposite adjacent sides of the pivoted edge of the vane with the inlet port being on the trailing side, said outlet including an arcuate outlet passage in the chamber wall of the order of extent positioned out of communication with the compartment at maximum volume, whereby said compartments may be closed during the first portion of volume reduction thereof from said maximum and being open to said outlet during the rest of said reduction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,850 Grimm Apr. 27, 1880 791,428 Lawrence May 30, 1905 930,403 Mooney Aug. 10, 1909 1,585,187 Drevet May 18, 1926 1,678,831 Seaholm July 31, 1928 1,712,936 Seaholm May 14, 1929 1,834,509 Trumble Dec. 1, 1931 1,869,787 Trumble Aug. 2, 1932 2,336,580 Yeatman Dec. 14, 1943 2,464,208 Bolster Mar. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 268,964 Italy Nov. 5, 1929 

